View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 2/07/03

Graphic By: Jonelle Thackston

Up until recently the only way to get the benefits of a multi-processor system required two processors, a dual processor motherboard, and a large bank account. In walks Hyper-Threading, or as INTEL calls it, ÝHT.ÿ Hyper Threading architecture allows a single processor to run two threads at the same time. A thread is a request from a program you're running sent to the processor for computation.

Normally, one program at a time is using the processor. Windows and UNIX operating systems have very advanced methods of allotting each program a CPU cycle allowing the user to run multiple applications at once; however, only one of them is talking to the processor at a time. Hyper-Threading allows twice the amount of data to be processed by handling two threads per cycle. This effectively doubles the computing capacity of the computer. That is, of course, provided you have an operating system that supports multiple processors such as Windows XP, BSD, Linux, or UNIX.

The base model HT processor by itself will run you around $700, so it¼s not for the slim of wallet. Quake won¼t run any faster, and Counter- Strike will still be the way it was; however, you can now recompress your old school anime to DivX format and play either at the same time. If you're looking for the epitome of computer "geekdom" then there is no better way to obtain it than with the P4HT 3.06 GHz processor.